Sports

GOLF: Muirfield says ‘no' to female members, off British Open list

Muirfield in Scotland has been removed from the list of British Open Championship host courses after voting against admitting female members. Muirfield has hosted 16 Open Championship, most recently in 2013.

GOLF: Muirfield says ‘no’ to female members, off British Open list

Captain of Muirfield Golf Club, Henry Fairweather in front of Muirfield golf club clubhouse, as he makes an announcement on the outcome of a membership ballot, against admitting women as club members on Thursday May 19, 2016. The Royal and Ancient, which organizes the British Open golf tournament has reacted by saying Muirfield will no longer be allowed to stage the major championship.

MUIRFIELD'S PAST CHAMPIONS

Muirfield in Scotland has hosted the Open Championship 16 times in the past, but the club has been removed from the host list after voting against admitting female members.

Here is a list of years and winners of each of those tournaments.

2013 – Phil Mickelson

2002 – Ernie Els

1992 – Nick Faldo

1987 – Nick Faldo

1980 – Tom Watson

1972 – Lee Trevino

1966 – Jack Nicklaus

1959 – Gary Player

1948 – Henry Cotton

1935 – Alf Perry

1929 – Walter Hagen

1912 – Ted Ray

1906 – James Braid

1901 – James Braid

1986 – Harry Vardon

1982 – Harold Hilton

Muirfield was stripped of its right to host the British Open after the Scottish club voted against admitting female members in a move that provoked sharp criticism from players and lawmakers on Thursday.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns Muirfield, announced its decision to retain the club’s male-only policy following a ballot of its members. A two-thirds majority was required for a change to take place but of the 616 members who voted, 36 percent were against allowing women.

Within minutes, the Royal and Ancient, which runs the British Open, said Muirfield was off the list of 10 courses that can host golf’s oldest major championship.

“Going forward we will not stage the Championship at a venue that does not admit women as members,” R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement. “If the policy at the club should change, we would reconsider Muirfield as a venue for The Open in future.”

Muirfield has staged the British Open 16 times, most recently in 2013 when Phil Mickelson won the claret jug. Royal Troon, which hosts this year’s tournament from July 14-17, is the only other club on the rotation to still exclude women.

British sports minister David Evennett said the decision by Muirfield’s members was “extremely disappointing” and “sends out completely the wrong message.”

“Scotland has women leaders in every walk of life,” Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said on Twitter. “It is 2016. This is simply indefensible.”

Golfers past and present backed the R&A’s stance.

“Gone are the days where you can discriminate in a club,” said two-time British Open champion Padraig Harrington, commenting from the Irish Open. “The R&A have a bigger responsibility to society, and they’ve done the right thing.”

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy said golf needed to boost its image against charges of sexism because “it’s 2016 and times move on,” adding: “We are trying to break out of this stuffy, old image. We are trying to become more with the times and do things to make golf faster, make golf cooler, make more people included.”

Gary Player, who won the British Open at Muirfield in 1959 for the first of his nine major titles, said the club’s decision was “simply unacceptable.”

“I hope Muirfield will reconsider their position soon and continue hosting one of the world’s greatest golf events,” Player said.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, the spiritual “Home of Golf,” opened its membership to women in 2014 for the first time in 260 years. Royal St. George’s, another British Open host, ended its male-only membership last year. Augusta National, home of the Masters, decided in 2012 to invite women to join.

But Muirfield refused to budge in the face of fierce pressure from equality campaigners and lawmakers.

When Muirfield hosted the British Open in 2013, the R&A was heavily criticized for allowing the club to stage the event given its opposition to having female members. A consultation exercise was opened the following year.

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